A labor of love

Two-thirds of the people living in Madison Township are related to Debra (Hubbard) Perkins. So, it seems logical that there'd be no one better than Perkins herself to compile an historical photographic account of the rural area. And, that's exactly what the stay-at-home mom recently did. Perkins' Images of America book, "Penn and Madison Townships" was published last month. And, so far, it's been well received. After just two weeks on the market, more than 350 copies had been sold. Her agreement with Arcadia Publishing means she'll get a small percentage of the sales price of every book sold. But, Perkins, who is already considering doing a second volume, said she didn't take on the book project for the money. "I did it because my family means a lot to me," she said. "It was a labor of love." A home day-care provider in Mishawaka, Perkins said she never -- ever -- thought she'd become a published author. The seed was first planted three years ago when her daughter, Nichole, decided to do a genealogy project for 4-H. For Perkins, helping her daughter trace their family's roots, digging out old photographs and talking with her grandparents, Virginia (Battles) and Charles A. Beehler, Jr., about distant relatives, was fascinating. Along the way, the 37-year-old happened upon an Images of America book on southern St. Joseph County. "I said 'I could do this,'æ" she said. So, she called Arcadia and submitted a proposal, along with a few pictures she had from her family's collection. Last summer, the publisher gave her the go-ahead -- and a 10-month timeline -- to put together a book consisting of pre-1941 photos and captions about Madison and rural parts of Penn townships. The images include those of families, homesteads, class pictures, businesses and rural living. Perkins started her quest by interviewing members of her church in Wakarusa. Then, she set out to track down people from a list of names her grandmother had given her. Though she was restricted to collecting photos and writing captions with a limited number of words, she said she heard many interesting stories as she spent time talking with residents of the rural areas. In March, Perkins' grandmother, who was a huge supporter of hers, died. "She was my rock and stone," she said. "When no one else would listen, my granny always would." Since her grandmother never got to see the finished book, Perkins said she's taken it with her on visits to the cemetery. It was her granny, after all, who encouraged her to take on the project in the first place. "I asked her about it before contacting the publisher," Perkins said. "And she said 'honey, only you (could do it), only you. I have faith in you.'æ" Perkins moved out of Madison Township 13 years ago. While she said she likely would never move back -- because her family is now settled in Mishawaka -- she and her husband, Kraig, and kids, Kody and Nichole, visit relatives there often. The most profound lesson she learned from the project, she said, is the importance of preserving the past. "(Otherwise) Once your loved ones are gone," she said, "the memories are gone too."Staff writer Kim Kilbride: kkilbride@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6554